Dutch

Thanksgiving is an American holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every year. Celebrated primarily to mark the end of the harvest season, Thanksgiving day is the one occasion where family and friends get together to offer thanks to God for all the bounteous gifts in life. American Thanksgiving origins can be traced as early as the 17th century to a time when English settlers established themselves on Native American land. There are various legends associated with Thanksgiving and the story of the settlers and Native Americans is one such fable. One of the most important elements of the Thanksgiving festival is the Thanksgiving feast in every home. Family and friends get together at the dinner table, start by saying 'Grace' and feast on delicious food such as roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie, sweet corn, etc. Apart from the traditional feasting, Thanksgiving is also a time to get together, unwind, shop or watch a movie with close friends and family. 'Dutch' is one such, classic movie that should not be missed this Thanksgiving! Read on.

Dutch, The Thanksgiving Movie

Movie Synopsis
Dutch is a beautiful rom-com movie, set in the backdrop of 20th century America. Directed by Peter Faiman and written by John Hughes, this movie was re-released in Australia as 'Driving me crazy'. The film starts Ethan Embry, JoBeth Williams, and Ed O'Neill. This movie is all about the good guy trying to teach his girlfriend's brat son a lesson he will never forget! Rated as one of the top ten Thanksgiving films, the Dutch contains a plot full of twists, love, confusion and trouble! The story begins with a glitzy party attended by top-notch executives and the main characters of the movie Dutch Dooley (Ed O'Neill) and his posh girlfriend, Natalie Standish (JoBeth Williams). The two are a couple, although Dutch doesn't seem to fit in with the high-society crowd. Natalie meets her ex-husband at this party, who mysteriously has to leave town for a business trip and tells her to drop her Thanksgiving plans, menacingly. When Natalie decides to call her son Doyle (Ethan Randall) home for Thanksgiving, he refuses and yells at his mother, blaming her for the split between his parents. Dutch, the unsuspecting boyfriend, hears about this conversation and decides to further his bond with Natalie, by offering to pick Doyle from Georgia and bring him back home for Thanksgiving. Dutch realizes that the child is much like the boy's father; rude, uncouth and brat-like.

The movie continues, with unscrupulous mishaps, comical comebacks, fights and tricks played on each other. The plot intensifies when the young Doyle realizes that his father lied about his business trip and decided to stay with a girlfriend. This makes him realize his love for his mother, and decides to get back home to her for Thanksgiving, contrary to what he wanted in the beginning. After several more comical mishaps, the duo (Doyle and Dutch) land up in a 'displaced family' home, where Doyle learns the importance of family and family life. After a series of emotional upheavals and flashback-pondering, Dutch and Doyle return to Natalie's house safely and enjoy a peaceful Thanksgiving dinner together at the table, after a personal confrontation with Doyle's lying father.

'D

utch' and Thanksgiving
The movie stresses on the importance of relationships, gratitude and family life on various levels. When Dutch learns of his girlfriend's broken life, he decides to help her out by picking up her priggish son from school for Thanksgiving. Although the two start off on a bad note, they grow to love and respect each other along the way. Thirteen year old, insufferable Doyle, who in the beginning, yelled at his mother impolitely over the phone, learned to realize the importance of his family and especially his mother, after he learnt that his father was lying. He began to miss his mother even more, after he saw a family cozying up at the 'displaced families' home.

Throughout the film, an emphasis is being made on the importance of relationships, and the audiences get to see this through Doyle's eyes. Doyle is grateful to Dutch for having brought him home for Thanksgiving, and for opening his eyes to reality. The film encapsulates the true spirit of Thanksgiving, relationships, love and most importantly; family. Although Dutch is an outsider, he offers to help Natalie, which encompasses the true soul of the festival of Thanksgiving. The film ends on a positive, comical note, at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

The film is PG-13 and is a real treat to watch on Thanksgiving Day. Although the story is based on comicality, the essence of the movie lies in the relationships, the realization, and the gratitude. 'Dutch' is a great movie to watch with family and friends on Thanksgiving this year!